Bill Text: TX HB2496 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Comm Sub
Bill Title: Relating to notice provided by certain public water systems regarding a water service interruption in an area served by a fire department that provides fire suppression services.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-05-10 - Committee report sent to Calendars [HB2496 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HB2496-Comm_Sub.html
88R27869 LRM-F | |||
By: Swanson, et al. | H.B. No. 2496 | ||
Substitute the following for H.B. No. 2496: | |||
By: King of Uvalde | C.S.H.B. No. 2496 |
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relating to notice provided by certain public water systems | ||
regarding a water service interruption in an area served by a fire | ||
department that provides fire suppression services. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 341, Health and Safety | ||
Code, is amended by adding Section 341.03561 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 341.03561. NOTICE OF WATER SERVICE INTERRUPTION TO | ||
FIRE DEPARTMENT. (a) In this section: | ||
(1) "Fire department" has the meaning assigned by | ||
Section 795.001. | ||
(2) "Hydrant" has the meaning assigned by Section | ||
341.03571. | ||
(3) "Public safety answering point" has the meaning | ||
assigned by Section 772.001. | ||
(4) "Regulatory authority" has the meaning assigned by | ||
Section 13.002, Water Code, except the term does not include the | ||
governing body of a municipality. | ||
(b) This section applies only to a public water system | ||
located outside the incorporated area of a municipality that is | ||
required by a regulatory authority to install and maintain a | ||
hydrant under Section 341.0358, 341.03585, or 341.0359, including | ||
rules and standards adopted under those sections. | ||
(c) The regulatory authority of a public water system to | ||
which this section applies shall by rule require the public water | ||
system to provide to each fire department providing fire | ||
suppression services in the area where the hydrant is located | ||
notice of a water service interruption that renders the hydrant | ||
temporarily unavailable for use in a fire emergency. The notice | ||
must be provided: | ||
(1) for a planned water service interruption, before | ||
the interruption begins; and | ||
(2) for an unplanned water service interruption of | ||
three hours or more, as soon as practicable but not later than 24 | ||
hours from the time the authority is first notified or otherwise | ||
becomes aware of the interruption. | ||
(d) A public water system to which this section applies | ||
shall notify each fire department that is provided notice of a water | ||
service interruption under Subsection (c) notice of the water | ||
service's resumption not later than two hours from the time the | ||
water service is resumed. | ||
(e) For the purposes of this section, a hydrant that is | ||
unavailable for pumping directly from the hydrant is unavailable | ||
for use in a fire emergency. | ||
(f) For purposes of providing the required notice under | ||
Subsections (c) and (d), the regulatory authority of a public water | ||
system may approve the use of: | ||
(1) a dynamic information database described by | ||
Section 418.192, Government Code; and | ||
(2) the public water system's Internet website or a | ||
social media platform, as defined by Section 120.001, Business & | ||
Commerce Code, that allows fire departments to subscribe to or | ||
otherwise receive notices from the website or platform. | ||
(g) The regulatory authority of a public water system may | ||
delegate the system's duty to provide notice under Subsection (c) | ||
or (d) to a public safety answering point that relays information to | ||
fire departments providing fire suppression services in the area | ||
where the affected hydrant is located. A public safety answering | ||
point delegated the duty to provide notice under Subsection (c) or | ||
(d) must provide that notice in accordance with the applicable time | ||
for notice under those subsections. | ||
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |